Territorial disputes in the South China Sea have highlighted the ongoing tensions between China and countries including the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam, with the US also weighing in recently with its proposals for a bigger military presence in the region.

Both Vietnam and Malaysia are undergoing regional military build-ups, and the Philippines doubled its defence budget in 2011 after pledging to conduct joint military exercises with the US. Meanwhile, Brunei has not been complacent, with additional spending and partnerships shaping the defensive posture of both the nation and the region for coming years.

In late May, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) took a step closer towards establishing a formal arrangement for a regional defence industry collaboration dur…

PEARL HARBOUR, HAWAII, Wednesday 25 June 2014 - KDB DARUSSALAM and KDB DARULAMAN arrived in Pearl Harbour, Hawaii, is a historic milestone for the Royal Brunei Navy, as this not only marks the first time a Royal Brunei Navy (RBN) ship to arrive in the Hawaiian Islands, but also to cross the Pacific Ocean and international dateline.

En route from Guam to Hawaii, RBN Ships also participated in a Multinational Task Force (MNTF) Group Sail, other navies participating in MNTF Group Sail were the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and the US Navy (USN).

Throughout the 11 day transit, a number of naval warfare serials were conducted and among them were gunnery firings, tactical manoeuvres and cross-deck helicopter operations. Despite challenging weather conditions, all serials and evolutions were executed safely proving an underlying commitment by all warships to a successful task force transit which goes toward progressing and enhancing interoperability.

BRUNEI should take advantage of history as a tool in providing quality education, a senior official from the Prime Minister’s Office said.

Permanent Secretary Hj Mohd Rozan Dato Paduka Hj Mohd Yunos (pictured) yesterday said history can be a careful and systematic study of key societal processes such as relations of political power, economic interests, or cultural life over time.

History emphasises change and continuity, and on how and why change occurs in human societies, he said.

Delivering his keynote address during the Cluster Six Symposium, Hj Mohd Rozan said recognition of history as a continuing process has implications for the future.

It requires exploration of, and debate over, how a defined historical past may relate to the present and the future, he added in his presentation titled “The Past Teaches the Present: A Lesson for the Future”.

History and historical studies can affect curriculum, and induce innovativeness in several ways, the permanent secretar…

The American Embassy in Brunei releases the following news on Brudirect on 21 June 2014:
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The United States Secretary of State John Kerry has released
the 2014 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report and the U.S. Embassy would like to
announce that the Government of Brunei has maintained its “Tier II” ranking for
its counter-trafficking efforts in 2013. The United States looks forward to
continuing to work with His Majesty’s government as our nations seek to
eradicate trafficking crimes and modern day slavery to make our world a safer
place.
The goal of the TIP report is to stimulate action and create
partnerships around the world in the fight against modern-day slavery. The
Report’s standards are consistent with those set forth in the Trafficking
Victims Protection Act, passed by the U.S. Congress in 2000, and the UN
Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially
Women and Children (the “Palermo Protocol”), supplementing the United Nations
Convention ag…

With a growing population and expanding economy heaping the pressure on Brunei Darussalam’s water supply, the Sultanate has upped investment in storage and processing infrastructure, while also calling on its people to reduce consumption.

Bruneians use an estimated 450 litres of water per person daily, according to data from the Ministry of Development, giving the country a consumption rate which is almost double that of its neighbours and one of the highest in the world.

The Sultanate subsidises the cost of potable water for its citizens, which some officials believe could be contributing to the country’s high usage. Driving down usage could help the government achieve its aim of having capacity eventually exceed consumption. However, the task may prove to be a challenging one, despite the investmen…

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Radio Television Brunei (RTB) and MediaCorp, Republic of Singapore, are jointly producing two reality TV programmes, namely, 'Xpedisi Siswa' and 'GRID', where the programmes involve students from Institutions of Higher Education of both countries.

Both programmes are annual co-production projects of RTB and Media Corp commissioned under a Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam and the Government of the Republic of Singapore in the field of broadcasting.

The 'Xpedisi Siswa' programme seeks to challenge the participants' ability to adapt to new environments and apply their soft skills through experiential learning. Through this annual project with the introduction of 'Media Literacy' the participants impart and share knowledge relating to the importance of computer and the internet with children of a third country who are not exposed to the digital world…

From 9th to 12th June 2014, I together with a few senior officers from the Prime Minister's Office, the Radio Television Department and the Information Department attended the 12th AMRI and its related meetings. The full report of the meeting is as follows:

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PRESS RELEASE

12TH CONFERENCE OF THE ASEAN MINISTERSRESPONSIBLE FOR INFORMATION (AMRI)Theme: ‘Social Responsible Media for a Peaceful and Prosperous Community’

The Conference was officially opened by His Excellency Dr. Sai Mauk Kham, Vice President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. After the opening ceremony, Dato Paduka Haji Abdul Wahab attended the AMRI Plenary Session and…

Brunei Darussalam has proven to be fertile ground for international food chains entering the domestic market, with an increasing number using franchising as a means to extend their roots and reach out to an enthusiastic clientele. As a result, their success is prompting calls for local businesses to use the same franchising vehicle to drive expansion overseas.

Over the past year, there has been a surge of overseas food outlets launching in Brunei Darussalam and aiming to carve out a niche in an increasingly affluent market. Companies such as Burger King, Starbucks, the organic food retailer Natural Health Farm and Aunt Annie’s Pretzels have all moved into the country, while others, such as the US coffeehouse It’s A Grind, are set to open their doors later this year, utilising franchises operate…